Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-25
SUGAR MAKING.
Cost Of Plant, Yield and Profits Of the
Industry.

SOSt u 14CIo 1no iOIIo VI SilC
Industry.
Hon. John Kelly, wichita Kas:
My DEAR SIR have yours of the
10Th inst inst. relative to the expense of
machinery, etc, necessary to make sugar
from sorghum by the process In use at our
works. How small or cheap factory can
be built to make sugar successfully (Which
means probably, of course we cannot
say. 1t requires quite as much skill to
make sugar on small scale as on a large
In feet. is 1t more difficult to grain sugar In
a small vacuum pan than In large one
Quite an item In the expense Of sugar
max ing is the matter of skilled help. 1t is
app aren't that in this particular, as. In fact,
most others, the relative advantages must
be greatly In favor Of the larger
works. Our factory here is cspa
bic Of working In twenty-four
hours aoout 175 tons of field cane, or
about 1876 tons of cane cleaned Of seed,
heads and leaves. the latter being done
entirely by machinery At very trifng
additional expense we could operate q
factory with capacity of $50 tons of field
cane per day-trifins except In the addi-
tional amount Of fuel required and that
would be relatively less. Just what the
maxium capacity shall be, we cannot state.
Il will be limited, we think, by the amount
of cane that can be most economically
handled at given point, provided the
amount Is not less than, say 5000 or
20, 600 tons of field cane.
The factories we shall build next year
will have a capacity Of not less
than $50 tons Of cane per day
and will work the cane for 1,S0O to
1000 acres Of land. Such a
plant viii cost from $50, to $125 900,
exclusive of the grounds, depending upon
the character of buildings, ETC., etc.
You ask my ''Yiews In regard to the bus
mess" You remember the explanation
and details Of the man who had received
his sight: cone thing know; l once was
blind but now see" ] have made sugar
for the past SIX years-formerly at q loss,
now at good round profit. We have
simply found out how to do 1t. We have
the cheapest sugar plant in the world, con-
sIdering its seed and the other biproducts |
from It's manufacture. Our process IS not
perfect, but 1t Is very simple, cheap certain |
sufficiently perfect to make sugar any place
in Kansas at a prolific make sugar 10 |
successful competition with the other sugar
producing sections and countries of the
world.
beg leave to assure you that there has
been nothing phenominal or peculiar in the
work or the crop Of this season. The cane
is below the average, both in tonnage and
sugar content. The hot winds Of summer
and the warm rains Of early fall, produc.
ing suckers or second growth, have pro
duced the most unfavorable conditions for
sugar making. But fair
amount Of sugar was there, as 1t always
has been when grown on Kansas soil. We
have the proper machinery for extracting
it from the stalk, and from long study Of
the difficulties. disciplined by disasters and
iiscouragementsswe learned how to treat
the juice when extracted. That L. all there
Is to 1t; we know how and can do tomor-
row and next year and every year
he same thing under ike conditions. We
nave every reason to expect more favorable
machinery, better help,
-icher cane and greater stock Of knOwl
sdge. In other words, the question Of sue
,essful sugar making Ia Kansas and from
Kansas cane Is settled conclusively and for
Ill time.
Passing from absolute knowledge to be-
lief, will add that this cane can, In my
judgment, be greatly improved by proper!
crossing fertilization and other
methods by which the sugar beet Of Europe
has been increased from sugar content
If three-eighths Of one per cent to twelve
per cent. No efforts on sorghum have
been made in this direction. Unless sor-
,hum is stubborn beyond al other plants
lpon which proper care has been bestowed,
We may expect from 1t In the not distant
future sugar producer as much richer
n crystalizable sugar as it should be poorer
n gums and other enVlies to the formation
If the true and pure bright crystal.
The practicabiiity Of maintaining central
factories at which, and during the whole
ear, the product Of outside or supplemental
works, at which The juice is extracted and
reated by partial boiling or otherwise,
hall be worked for market, is in my
judgement entirely feasible. A number Of
carefully conducted experiments made by
Is this year, IN the matter Of treating the
uice for safe storage for after working
confirm II they DO not fully establish this
Jew. But even at present our working .
eason Is considerably longer and more
'ertain than In the most favored portions
# the south with topical care. Ii would !
eem useless to argue with q Wichita
nan that fair return on the money Is as
rood when made in ninety days as when
he whole yesr is consumed In securing the
sme result, But | believe the discovery |
las been made at your city and By your
press, that sugar factory Is
# no great consequence, because 1t cannot
oe opersted In slI its appointments the